


Open Communication

by Spacecadet72



Category: Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-29
Updated: 2015-06-29
Packaged: 2018-04-06 18:28:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,437
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4232241
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Spacecadet72/pseuds/Spacecadet72
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Lois asks Superman how he feels about her, he tells her a secret that will change everything for the two of them. </p>
<p>Set during 1x20 "Barbarians at the Planet".</p>
            </blockquote>





	Open Communication

“If you were just an ordinary man living an ordinary life, I would love you just the same. Can’t you believe that?” 

Lois looked up at him, her eyes wide and begging him to believe her. And, oh, how he wanted to, wanted to take her in his arms, wanted to stop her from marrying Luthor. He could still hear her words from earlier echoing in his mind, and it made him pause. 

_“I do love you, but as a friend."_

He sighed, but didn’t look away as he spoke. He owed her that. “I wish I could, Lois, but under the circumstances, I don’t see how I can.” 

He turned to go, but her voice, desperate and full of longing made him turn back. 

“What can I do to make you believe that what I’m telling you is real?”

“You don’t want an ordinary man, Lois. I know what you told Clark today.” The words left him without his permission. That that wasn’t where he had meant for this conversation to go. 

“Clark?” She asked, her sadness replaced momentarily by confusion. “But that’s completely different. He’s not you.” 

She moved in closer and reached a hand out to rest on his arm. 

He closed his eyes. The truth was right there, he could taste the words, but he knew he couldn’t...

Why not? Lois was his best friend. He was closer to her than just about anyone, and he knew she would never do anything to harm him. Or Superman. And if this would keep her from Lex, he had to try. 

“Actually, he is.” 

Lois dropped her hand from his arm, her mouth opening in shock. 

“Superman, this isn’t funny. I’m trying to be serious here.” 

“So am I.” He replied, his voice soft. “I am Clark. And Superman.” 

She continued to stare at him and he knew his word wouldn’t be enough. He took a step back and turned into a spin, everything blurring slightly as he changed. He slowed to a stop, glasses and suit in place, his hair loose, the cape and tights back under his clothes. 

“It’s me, Lois.”

“Clark, or Superman...I…I…” she trailed off, her mouth almost forming words, but she could only stare at him. 

He took a step forward and reached a hand out. “You were right, you know me. Better than anyone.” 

She took a step back, and Clark pulled his hand back. Still, she remained silent. 

“I never thought I’d see the day Lois Lane was at a loss for words.” He said, with a smile, trying to find that friendly banter that came so easily when they were just Clark and Lois, but the joke sounded flat and she didn’t smile back. “Sorry.” He said after a few beats, as he rubbed the back of his neck. 

He tried one last time to engage her, afraid as she still said nothing. “I’m still me, Lois.” 

“No.” Was all she said in return, the word falling almost unconsciously from her lips. 

“No?” He asked, and he wasn’t sure that he wanted to know what she meant by it. 

She shook her head. “I can’t…” she laughed, and the sound was high pitched and hysterical. “My partner is Superman. I’ve worked with you every day and I never noticed. How, how could that happen?”

She turned her attention back to him, her eyes narrowing. She punched him in the arm and shook her hand out as they both winced. 

“You lied to me.”

“I didn’t lie.” 

Lois raised an eyebrow. 

“I may have...left out some things, but I’ve been honest about everything else.” 

“This is a pretty big thing to not be honest about, Clark.” 

“You don’t think it killed me to keep this from you? I had to.” Clark said, willing her to see why he had to do this. "I never wanted to hurt you. I'm sorry."

Lois opened her mouth to respond when a distant cry for help caught his attention. He listened closer, turning his attention to the window to try and pinpoint a location. Only about ten blocks down. 

"I have to go." 

"Go," was all she said and he wasn't sure how to interpret the word. She packed so much emotion into one syllable. 

He hated leaving, but knew that giving Lois time would be the only way she would come to accept this. He only hoped he was right. He spun back into the suit, and glanced at Lois one last time before flying out the window. 

\-----

Without work at the Planet to force them together, Clark didn't see Lois the next several days and he didn't think tracking her down to talk again would be a good idea. 

Instead, he spent his time searching for a way to defeat Lex, only stopping to answer the cries for help that make up his waking hours. 

He didn't find anything but loose ends and came back to his apartment one night, feeling defeated and at a loss for what to do next. 

"Lois," he said in surprise as she stepped out from the shadowed corner of his front step.

"Hello, Clark." She said and her voice was soft and didn't hold the anger it had last week. He hoped this meant she'd forgiven him. 

"Are you still mad?" He asked as he walked up the steps to stand in front of her, keeping a safe distance between them. 

"I'm not mad." She said with a shake of her head.

Clark raised an eyebrow. 

"I was," she added at his disbelief, "but I was also hurt."

Clark winced. That was worse.

"I understand why you can't tell everyone, and why you couldn't tell me in the beginning, but Clark, you know me. We're partners and best friends and I thought you would have been able to trust me with this before." She had moved closer as she spoke, reaching out to place a hand on his arm and that connection, along with vulnerability on her face was almost too much. 

"Lois, I--"

She barreled forward, cutting him off. "But I've been thinking, and I realized how hard it must have been for you to hide it, and how you've been hiding so long, that opening up would be difficult." 

She looked up at him, her expression full of the compassion that he had come to learn she had so much of. "I understand why you did it." Her lips turned up on a wry smile. "If I'm being honest, I'm also upset at myself for not figuring it out."

Clark smiled and took off the glasses, examining them. "They're surprisingly effective."

Lois smiled back. "I've also been thinking about the other thing you told me, and I've been trying to figure out how it was I exactly felt about you. Trying to figure out how I felt about Superman and Clark and how those feelings fit together."

"And?" Clark asked, no longer able to stay quiet. 

Lois' smile grew, but it stayed soft and nervous. "I realized that what I loved about Superman wasn't the powers or the celebrity, but his goodness and his gentleness and those were things that Clark had too, I just hasn't seen it that way."

"Lois, what are you saying?" Clark asked, afraid to hope that he was hearing her correctly. 

"I'm saying that I love you." She said, beaming now and her laugh sounded almost like a sob.

Clark cupped her cheek with his hand before leaning in and pressing a gentle kiss to her lips. She returned it, but pulled back after a few moments. This was too new, too fragile for either of them to push for more now. 

"I'll have you know I would have figured out how I felt about you even without Superman, but it probably would have taken longer." She said flippantly, sounding happier than she had since the destruction of the Planet. 

"That's a relief." Clark said with a grin. "But I'm glad you know. I'm sorry it took so long for me to tell you."

Lois shook her head. "I understand. But Clark, there's one other thing. Do you hate Lex because you're jealous or do you have a real reason? I know if you'd had proof as Clark you would have told me. Does Superman know something?"

Clark nodded. "Lex didn't hide his evil plans from Superman once confronted."

"What has he done?" Lois asked, shivering as the wind picked up. 

Clark ran his hands down her arms and turned to lead them into his apartment. 

"Let's go inside and I'll tell you everything."

**Author's Note:**

> ~~And then they defeat Lex, get married and take over the world.~~
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> I was rewatching season 1, and wondered how it would change things if Clark told her he was Superman at the end of season 1. I think having it earlier in their relationship, and having it come from him, would make it a little easier for her to accept. (And then they could have avoided some of the angst in the next couple of seasons.


End file.
